Mermaids are found in folklore all over the world.
In English,
the word is taken from mere (sea)
and maid (or young girl)
however there are mermaid stories of these half fish,
half woman in lakes and rivers too.

Mermaid Earrings

As early as 1000 BC accounts are found in Assyria
where the goddess Atargatis turned into a mermaid in shame
for killing her lover.
The stories are not confined to tragedy:
some stores are of generous mermaids
giving blessings and falling in love with their human counterparts.
In 15th century China there is a story about a mermaid
who wept tears which became pearls.
In India Suvannamaccha is a mermaid princess
who tries to ruin Hanuman’s attempt to build a bridge to Lanka,
yet falls in love with him instead.
In Africa the Mami Wata are water spirits of both sexes.
In the Caribbean a mermaid is called Aycayia,
in Haiti the Loa called La Sirene
and associated with the Orisha Yemaya.

I wanted to focus on the more pleasant version
of these stories when designing the Mermaid earrings.
She is a complete sculpture,
yet only ¾ of an inch long.
Her tail curves onto itself
and her hands meet above her head,
her expression of quiet contemplation
and she swims though the waters.
She swims with a grace that could only exist
in the passion of such creatures.